Paul Ryan on Ferguson: 'Let's Not Prejudge Anything'

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) warned lawmakers against using the crisis in Ferguson, MO to push their own agenda, during a Tuesday appearance on FNC’s “Fox & Friends.”

“The first thing I do is don’t try to capitalize on this tragedy with your own policy initiatives. Don’t try to link some prejudged conclusion on what’s happening on the ground right now. So really I think we should take a deep breath, let’s have sympathy for the family and the community and let’s not pre-judge anything and let’s let the investigation take its course and hope that justice is served appropriately. But what I don’t want to do as a political leader is graft my policy initiatives or my preferences on this tragedy,” Ryan said, adding that doing so would be “disrespectful.”

“As policy makers, i don’t want to try to capitalize on tragedy by saying, well, shear what we should do because this is what I’m for. This is just not appropriate in my opinion,” Ryan said.

He added that there is “no problem” with the federal government “having a role” in the Michael Brown investigation but that local authorities should have the lead.

Ryan — who noted that he would decide in 2015 whether he will run for president in 2016 — has been pushing an anti-poverty agenda and his new book “The Way Forward” both of which he discussed during his “Fox & Friends” appearance.